Cleaning mop

ABSTRACT

The mop has a mop handle with a mop head at one end and a handle grip at the other end. Intermediate the mop head and the handle grip is a container holder and a container. The container is held in the container holder with the dispensing end of the container facing downward to the floor. Depending on the orientation of the container holder on the mop handle the liquid in the container can be dispensed “for” or “aft” of the mop head. Further, the container can be removed from the mop handle and the liquid dispensed onto the floor. The liquid is dispensed from the container by squeezing the container.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a cleaning mop which has integral to said mophandle a removable source of a liquid. More particularly this inventionrelates to a mop where the removable source of a liquid can be used inconjunction with the mop or separate from the mop.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

There is a long history in the development and use of dispensing mops.These have been used for floor cleaning and for floor polishing. Thesemops have some common characteristics. These include a mop handle with amop head at one end and a hand grip at the other end. Mounted on thehandle or at the mop head there can be a reservoir for the liquid thatis to be dispensed by a mechanism that usually is controlled at the handgrip. Upon activation at the hand grip the liquid is sprayed onto thefloor. This can be sprayed by a pump mechanism or under gravity flow.Gravity flow is useful when the reservoir is mounted at a point on thehandle intermediate the mop head and the handle grip. However, thesemops have limited versatility in use. The mop has to be maneuvered todispense the liquid, be it a cleaning liquid or a wax. The presentinvention increases the versatility in the use of mops by making iteasier to apply the cleaning liquid to a floor.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present mop comprises a mop handle with a mop head at one end and ahandle grip at the other end. Mounted between the mop head and thehandle grip is a holder for a liquid reservoir, i.e., a container. Themount for the liquid reservoir is securely attached to the handle with adispensing end of the liquid reservoir facing downwards toward the mophead. The liquid reservoir can be mounted to deliver liquid forward orrearward of the mop head. The liquid reservoir will have flexiblesidewalls so that upon squeezing the sidewalls the liquid is dispensed.Further the container that comprises the liquid reservoir can be removedfrom the mount and the liquid dispensed separate from the connectionwith the mop.

The liquid reservoir container will have a valve at the dispensing endthat is responsive to an increase in pressure in the bottle. This valvecan be of any type, but with a duckbill or a silicone valve beingpreferred. The container at an end opposite the liquid dispensing endoptionally can have a valve to permit air to enter the container toreplace the dispensed liquid. This is not necessary when air can enterthrough the dispensing valve. The liquid reservoir container will beconstructed of any of the commonly used resins useful to blowmoldcontainers. These include the polyolefins such as polyethylenes andpolypropylenes, polyvinyl chloride and polyesters such as polyethyleneterephthalate.

The mop head will be attached to the mop handle through a universalarrangement for easy maneuvering of the mop head. In addition the mophead will usually have an attached reusable or disposable wipe, cloth orpad.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the mop with the liquid reservoir set todispense liquid forward of the mop head.

FIG. 1A is a perspective view of the mop with the liquid reservoir setto dispense liquid rearward of the mop head.

FIG. 2 is a view of a liquid being dispensed directly from the liquidreservoir container.

FIG. 3 is a view of the mount for the liquid reservoir.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the liquid reservoir with the dispensingvalve.

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the container of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a bottom plan view of the container of FIG. 4.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present mop will be described in more detail and in preferredembodiments with reference to the drawings.

FIGS. 1 and 1A show the mop in two configurations for the mounting ofcontainer 30. The mop 10 is comprised of a handle 12 with a mop head 14at one end and a hand grip (not shown) at the other end. The container30 is mounted intermediate the mop head and the handle grip. Thecontainer can be mounted to deliver the contained liquid * forward(FIG. 1) or rearward (FIG. 1A) of the mop head 16. This is determined bythe orientation of the container holder 22 on the mop handle 12. Thecontainer holder 22 has grips 24 for securing the container 30 onto thecontainer mount 22.

The container 30 in FIGS. 1A and 1B is shown as mounted on the front orrear of the handle 12. The container, or the container neck, is orientedso that the bottle will deliver a spray or stream of liquid sufficientlyahead of or behind the mop head 14 so as not to wet the mop head. Inthis regard the container holder can be at an angle to the longitudinalaxis of the handle. The angle can be about 5° to 45°, and preferablyabout 10° to 25°. The angle will be determined to a degree depending onthe front or rear mount of the container holder into the handle. If itis not desired to have the container at an angle, the neck of the bottlecan be angled at an angle of about 5° to about 45°, and preferably about10° to about 25°. This likewise will deliver the contained liquidsufficiently in front of, or rearward of, the mop head 14 so as not towet the mop head 14.

A further alternative is to orient the container holder 22, or thecontainer neck 36, so as to deliver the spray or stream of liquid fromthe container to the left or right side of the mop head 14. This is auseful embodiment of the mop.

The mop head 14 has a replaceable wipe or pad that can be attachedadhesively or mechanically. Velcro strips can conveniently be used forattaching the wipes or pad to the mop head. The wipes can be essentiallyany woven or non-woven material, a foam, or any other commonly usedcleaning item. A pad can be a plastic foam or fibers, or layers ofcloths bonded together. The handle 12 is attached to the mop head 14 byany convenient arrangement such as the rod 18 on the mop head andaperture 20 on the handle. It is preferred that the connection benon-rigid. Attachment through a common universal joint also can be used.As noted above the container 30 will dispense a liquid 15 onto the flooreither forward or rearward of the mop head in the form of-a stream orspray.

The mop head 14 can be essentially any shape. The mop pad 16 will fitinto the mop head 16 using any convenient holding technique, includingthe use of Velco. The mop pad can be of essentially any shape orstructure.

FIG. 2 shows the container 30 dispensing liquid 15 free of the mophandle. The container also can be used in this way. This way of usegives the user of the mop more control over where the liquid is applied.

FIG. 3 is a view of the holder 22 attached to handle 12. Attachment canbe by means of an adhesive, through the use of fasteners such as screwsor by a two prong clip. Essentially any known technique can be used.

FIG. 4 is a view of the container showing the exit valve 38 and the useof silicone valve available from Liquid Molding Systems, Inc. ofMidland, Mich. and its licenses produce silicone valves. Such dispensingvalves are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5, 213,236; 5,339,995; 5,377,877;5,409,144; and 5,439,143 which are incorporated herein by reference. Acommon duckbill type of valve also can be used. The container 30 iscomprised of the container body 32, shoulder 34 and neck. 36. Thecontainer body 32 will be flexible as also can be shoulder 34. The valveis seen in more detail in FIG. 5. This is in the shape of a cross but itcan be in essentially any other shape. In FIG. 6, the base 40 of thebottle, is shown with an air check valve 42. This air check valve allowsair to enter the container 30 after a dispensing to replace thedispensed liquid. Any known check valve can be used.

The container can be made from any commonly used bottle making resinssuch as polyethylenes, polypropylenes, polyesters such as polyethyleneterephthalate and polyvinyl chloride. The mop handle can be plastic,metal or wood. The mop head usually will be a plastic.

In use the liquid 15 can be applied to the floor “fore” or “aft” of themop head by squeezing the container. In addition the container can beremoved from the mop holder 22 and the liquid 15 directly applied toparts of the floor by squeezing the container. This is applied as aspray or stream depending on the structure of the valve 38. The floorthen is wiped clean. After moping the wipe 16 can be removed from mophead 14 and replaced with a new wipe.

This mop construction provides for versatility in use and for morecontrol over the dispensing of the liquid onto the floor. There is morecontrol over where the liquid is dispensed and the amount dispensed.

1. A mop comprising a mop handle, a mop head at one end of said mophandle, a mount for a container attached to said mop handle a distancefrom said mop head, and a container held by said mount.
 2. A mop as inclaim 1 wherein said mop head has a cleaning wipe attached thereto.
 3. Amop as in claim 2 wherein said mop handle is attached to said mop headby a means which allows the mop head to move with respect to said mophandle.
 4. A mop as in claim 1 wherein said mount is located on said mophandle is an orientation such that a dispensing bottle in said mountwill dispense a liquid forward of said mop head.
 5. A mop as in claim 1wherein said mount is located on said mop handle in an orientation suchthat a dispensing bottle in said mount will dispense a liquid rearwardof said mop head.
 6. A mop as in claim 4 wherein said mount will permita liquid to be dispensed while attached to said mount.
 7. A mop as inclaim 5 wherein said mount will permit a liquid to be dispensed whileattached to said mount.
 8. A mop as in claim 1 wherein said containerhas flexible walls.
 9. A mop as in claim 1 wherein said container has aself-closing silicone valve at an exit thereof whereby upon theapplication of a given force the silicone valve is activated to dispensea liquid from said container.
 10. A mop as in claim 9 wherein on asurface of said container remote from a dispensing end there is apressure relief valve.